The martini 'Pope' shares his secret to the perfect cocktail

Wet or dry? Olive or a twist? European gin or something local?

For a 100-year-old cocktail with two ingredients – traditionally gin and vermouth – the martini can be modified in myriad ways. One question that won't be asked by any bartender worth their margarita salt, however, is "shaken or stirred?".

"We love the smooth texture vermouth and ice provide a martini when it's stirred and that silkiness would be lost if the cocktail was shaken," says Agostino "Ago" Perrone, director of mixology at London's Connaught Hotel, currently number two on the World's 50 Best Bars list, behind Dante in New York.

"We all know James Bond's famous quote 'shaken not stirred', however I must confess that a former Bond actor is a guest of The Connaught and he always opts for a stirred martini."

Perrone is visiting Australia to speak about the art of "mixology" at Melbourne Cocktail Festival's all-day symposium on February 26. Few bartenders command the same level of global respect for their martini skills as The Connaught's cocktail master.

"In Italy, we say 'if you go to Rome, you must see the Pope', but in the bartending world, we say 'if you go to London, you must see Ago'," says Orlando Marzo, curator of the five-day drinks festival.

"It's not just about the cocktail, it's about the hospitality behind it. He goes above and beyond to make a martini perfectly tailored for every customer."

Melbourne Cocktail Festival will also feature masterclasses on Australian gin botanicals and the history of the martini.

"People in Melbourne are definitely drinking more martinis than they were five years ago," says bar operator Luke Whearty, who focuses on Australian-made spirits at Byrdi in Melbourne Central's ELLA food precinct.

"It used to be only the very odd occasion that a customer would order a martini straight off the bat. Now it's quite a regular order."

Whearty attributes the martini's rise in popularity to Australia's spirit boom of the past decade ("the local gin market is super saturated now") and the increasing maturity of Melbourne drinkers' tastes.

"About 10 years ago, everyone started appreciating the old fashioned, which is just sweetened whisky, really. Then people's tastes turned to more bitter cocktails like the negroni, now it's sort of changed to martinis. It's interesting because that's similar to the way a young bartender's palate progresses, too."

For Marzo, the martini is not an entry-level cocktail. "It is more of a destination in drinking, not the first stop. It requires a certain degree of palate maturity."

The festival curator says the martini's growing popularity is also because of its ability to be customised. "The more you know your own recipe, the more you become a connoisseur. People become very fussy about their martini."

The key ingredients of a great martini

Gin

In its truest form, a martini is gin and vermouth stirred over ice, strained into a chilled glass and garnished with an olive or lemon peel. (A drop of bitters can make an appearance, too.) A bold, dry gin such as Sipmith, Beefeater or Tanqueray is good, but it's entirely a matter of personal preference. Whearty also recommends Applewood Distillery's new strawberry gum gin made in South Australia.

As for 007's penchant for vodka in his martini, Perrone says this is way more acceptable behaviour than shaking the cocktail.

"Like many variations of the martini, vodka definitely has a place and is particularly embedded in the public's mind thanks to Bond. At The Connaught, we always begin making a martini by asking guests what their base spirit of choice is."

Vermouth

For a "wetter" martini, more dry vermouth is added. Noilly Prat and Dolin are usual suspects and it's important the bottle wasn't opened months (or years) ago. Vermouth is fortified wine, and will begin to oxidise about a month after it's opened. For optimum freshness, vermouth should be stored in the fridge.

The perfect ratio

"Unless there is a specific request, the ratio of gin to vermouth for our signature martini is five parts to one," says Perrone. Three martinis of this magnitude could floor an elephant, however, and Whearty recommends a one-to-one ratio if there's a long night of dinner and wine ahead. The perfect ratio is the one that best suits a persons tastes and alcohol tolerance.

Ice

Much like whisky, a little dilution of gin through water will open up its botanicals and enhance a drinking experience. Stirring gin and vermouth for 30 seconds over ice is paramount to a perfect, bracing martini.

Garnish

"The garnish is the drinker's choice for excellence," says Perrone. "The lemon peel gives the most pronounced aroma with its fresh citrus notes and therefore pairs better with the botanicals of gin. The olive conveys a drier taste and pairs better with vodka, while a pickled onion provides the savoury note and acidity typical of a Gibson martini."

The Melbourne Cocktail Festival runs from February 26 - March 1